Michael J. McConnell is a trusted criminal defense lawyer serving primarily Westchester County and the Bronx as well as Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, and Rockland County. He is a former NYC prosecutor and a proud graduate of Pace Law School in White Plains, NY. He has a proven track record as a criminal defense lawyer of successfully defending clients accused of serious crimes, including assaults, domestic violence, gun charges, narcotics offenses and various other felonies and misdemeanors.
While the bulk of Michael J. McConnell’s practice is dedicated to criminal defense, he also handles workers’ compensation and personal injury matters. On all of his cases, his mission is always to help good people through their toughest times by being a relentless advocate for justice.
The most common cases that Michael J. McConnell tends to handle are gun possession cases (Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the 2nd Degree under P.L. § 265.03), felony narcotics offenses (various charges under P.L. Article 220), and felony assaults (e.g., Assault in the 2nd Degree under P.L. § 120.05).
In addition to those cases that make up the bulk of his practice, he also handles a wide variety of felony and misdemeanor cases including those related to domestic violence, DWI, and sex crimes. As a former prosecutor, he has experience handling many of the most common criminal offenses in New York from both sides of the courtroom—first as an ADA and now as a criminal defense attorney.
Michael J. McConnell gained a tremendous amount of experience in criminal law during his time as a prosecutor in New York City.
As an Assistant District Attorney in Manhattan, he handled a wide range of criminal cases ranging from misdemeanors to violent felonies. This included assaults, burglaries, DWIs, gun possession, forcible touching, narcotics offenses, and robberies. He took several cases to trial and successfully negotiated guilty pleas on countless others.
This significant training and experience he received as a prosecutor helps him successfully defend his clients today as a criminal defense lawyer. It allows him to understand how the other side thinks, builds its case, and prepares for trial. With this knowledge, Michael J. McConnell is able to come up with a strong defense from day one that is designed to fight back against the typical gameplan prosecutors use in serious criminal cases.
Michael J. McConnell graduated from Pace Law School, where his final GPA was within the top 10% of his graduating class. During law school, he won various awards for his participation in moot court and mock trial, including several first places finishes. He also won a $3,000 award for a national essay writing contest on the subject of constitutional and administrative law.
He also held several prestigious internships, including most notably at the United States Attorney’s Office as well as a judicial internship with then District Court Judge Richard J. Sullivan in the Southern District of New York.
Through these experiences in law school, Michael J. McConnell gained a tremendous amount of both hands-on training as well as observational learning on how to zealously advocate for clients.
Prior to law school, Michael J. McConnell received his undergraduate degree from Nyack College in Rockland County where he majored in Criminal Justice and was a team captain on the school's Division II baseball team.
Michael J. McConnell is licensed to practice law in New York. He is a member of the New York State Bar Association, the Westchester County Bar Association, the New York State Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and the Injured Workers' Bar Association.
When he’s not in the courtroom fighting for his clients, Michael J. McConnell enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter as well their family dog named “Moose.” He lives a very active lifestyle and has completed several marathons as well as a 50-mile ultramarathon. He also coaches youth basketball in Westchester County in his free time.
We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.